U17 AFCON qualifier Nigeria 1 Niger 0: Rapha Adams header secures three points for Golden Eaglets 

The Golden Eaglets recorded their first victory in the WAFU Zone B U17 AFCON qualifiers, beating Niger 1-0 at the University of Ghana Stadium on Sunday night.

Coach Manu Garba made two changes to the team that started against Burkina Faso,  with Oreoluwa Agbenla and Abdul Muiz Adeleke being handed their first start.

The defending champions' first attempt of the game came the way of Abdul Muiz Adeleke, but he couldn't make the most of the opportunity.

Four minutes later, Rapha Adams sprinted into a dangerous area and put a cross in a good position, but there was no one to connect with it.

Niger threatened the Nigerian goal in the 27th minute from the distance, but the effort went over the crossbar.

Adams gave the Eaglets the lead and the first goal of the tournament in the 31st minute with a header from a goalmouth scramble.

Adams tried doubling his side's lead with an ambitious effort from a long distance in the 38th minute, but his shot drifted wide. 

Three minutes before the end of the first half, Mohammed Bourdia  came close to finding the equalizer for Niger, but his effort kissed the cross bar.

Nigeria started the second half like they ended the first, with Adams and Adeleke threatening to score but couldn't find the back of the net.

Three minutes after the hour mark, Manu Garba's boys were reduced to 10 men as Okorie Chibuike was shown his marching orders.

John Ogwuche got the chance to give Nigeria a two-goal cushion in the 72nd minute from a free-kick but wasted the effort.

Niger came close to scoring from the corner kick in the 73rd minute, but the resulting header couldn't be directed towards goal. 

Not long after, they came close to restoring parity from a free kick, but Chinedu Dominic quickly came off his line to avert the danger.

Dominic was alert to deny Niger from scoring in the second minute of the stoppage time, making a brilliant save from a free-kick.

The defending champions will now face Togo in the final matchday on Wednesday.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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